Mississippi Science L.6.1.1

Science6th GradeLife Science

The Standard

L.6.1: Students will demonstrate an understanding that living things range from simple to complex organisms, are organized hierarchically, and function as whole living systems.

Use argument supported by evidence in order to distinguish between living and non-living things, including viruses and bacteria.

2026 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science · Hierarchical Organization

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students compare cell structure, energy use, and reproduction to decide whether something is living. They support their decisions with evidence, especially when comparing bacteria and viruses.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student identifies bacteria as living because they are cells that use energy and can divide. The student explains that viruses are usually classified as nonliving because they lack cells and need a host to make copies.
Common Misconceptions: Some students think all germs are living, so they group viruses with bacteria. Others call a seed nonliving because it is not visibly growing, or call fire living because it spreads.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: A bacterium is a cell that uses nutrients and divides. A virus has genetic material but needs a host cell to make copies. Which is living, and which is usually called nonliving? Give one piece of evidence for each answer.

Lesson moves

Have pairs sort picture and fact cards for a seed, rock, bacterium, and virus into living and nonliving piles, recording evidence.
Ask, 'A virus has genes but needs a host cell to make copies. What evidence supports calling it nonliving?'
Play evidence match: teams pair picture cards with cell, energy, and reproduction clues, then defend one classification against a challenge.
Show a yogurt label marked 'live cultures' and a disinfectant label listing bacteria and viruses, then ask which target has cells.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to L.6.1.1, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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